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The cars all pulled up outside a small bed & breakfast in town, and I thanked my lucky stars I didn’t have to be alone with him any longer. Eamon and Brennan were already outside, waiting to open the door, and their smiles turned to shock when they found me crying on Roland’s lap.

“Thorne, what did you do to her?” Brennan asked. He reached in and grabbed me, wrapping a coat around my shoulders and briefly inspecting my body for any damage.

“I didn’t do anything,” he growled. “She wouldn’t speak to me, and when I barked…”

“You barked at her?” Torin asked, walking up. “Don’t you know anything about omegas?”

“Of course I do!” Roland snapped. “You gotta be firm, you gotta…”

Eamon pulled me into his chest and started purring. It was a low, guttural sound, like a sputtering lawn mower. Nothing like the smooth, soothing hum of my alphas. But I needed to pretend that I liked it, especially in comparison to Roland’s treatment, so I stopped crying and leaned against the linebacker’s enormous chest.

Torin laughed and gestured towards us. “See? Look at that, even Frost knows better than you do.”

“Bullshit,” Roland replied. “You’re just going to spoil her.”

“So what?” Eamon snapped, squeezing me more tightly. “That’s what omegas are for. You spoil ‘em like crazy and it turns them on. You want her in your battalion or your bed?”

I sniffed, looking up at the monster holding me and batting my eyelashes. “I’m so cold, Eamon. Can you take me inside?”

I’d learned a bit more about alphas and pack dynamics since I’d last been taken against my will, and the only way I was going to survive the next three days was by playing these thick-headed idiots off each other.

“Of course, doll,” Eamon soothed. My alphas easily towered over me, but this one was practically gargantuan. I wouldn’t be surprised if his biceps were thicker than my waist. And with how easilyhe’d killed that beta, he could do far worse to me with the right motivation. I had to make sure he saw me as someone needing protectionbyhim, and not end up in a position where I needed protectionfromhim.

He ushered me up the stairs to the entrance of the B&B, and the owner opened the door. “It’s an absolute honor to host you on your visit to Maiingan Hollow,” the beta female beamed. She likely didn’t know all that had happened tonight, so I tried not to take her enthusiasm personally. Her smile faltered as she looked at the group of us. “Oh, are there six of you now? I can prepare another room, it will only take a moment…”

“Unnecessary,” Roland replied. “The omega will sleep with one of us.”

Oh, great. Which one of these assholes was going to be pawing at me all night long?

He shoved past the owner into the sitting area, setting down his bag. “We do not wish to see you outside of serving our meals during our time here. You will confine yourself to your quarters until we leave. We will have breakfast at 7:00AM sharp every morning. That is all.”

She chuckled nervously, waiting to see if maybe he was joking when Roland turned to face her, his tone biting. “That is all,” he repeated.

She mumbled something about keys and then left, closing and locking her door down the hall.

He certainly had a gift at sending people running, I envied him on that.

With the owner gone, the pack took over the small room, spreading their bags and large bodies across the space. Roland sat down and patted his knee. “Alright omega, let’s try this again.”

I looked at Eamon for confirmation and permission, which only made Roland angrier. He wanted me to respect his position of authority, and I was going to thwart it at every chance I had. “Omega…” he warned, his teeth clenched. “I can be very sweet, but only if you deserve it.”

Theodore put a hand on my shoulder. “Come on, then, let’s get this over with. We won’t get any time with you until the general’s satisfied.”

Wow, like that was a reward?

I swallowed and nodded silently, hanging my head as I headed over to the chair. Roland roughly grabbed me again, and I let out a small whimper, watching the rest of the pack wince at the sound.

“Now, omega. Tell us about yourself. When was your last heat?”

I fought back the urge to gag. Of course that would be the most pertinent thing to ask. They had my designation, so what else was important about their new property aside from when they could use me?

The pack surrounded me, sniffing the air as they waited for me to speak.

I was already exhausted, and wondering if maybe I could just shift and kill them all right now. It would save me a lot of time and effort, that’s for sure.

My wolf seemed to like that idea. “Um…”

Before I could start speaking, a knock sounded at the door. Roland looked at Torin, wordlessly ordering him to answer it.